Chapter 114 The Home Front Duel

In the solidarity and common interest between the colonial empires, there is no doubt that Britain would have given support to the French in the colonial issue anyway. Even the support could have been greater, and the colonial empires now alive could have been warmed up.

Alan Wilson, who barely blended into the decision-making circle on such a special occasion as the Potsdam Conference, did not mince words when he learned of it the next day, patting himself on the back and exclaiming wonderfully ……

“Now we can be sure that France is going to kill its way back to Vietnam, and Holland is going to take back the Dutch East Indies, and the Honorable Sir Edward, that’s all British Malaya can get to. If we can ensure the relative smoothness of British Malaya, it is entirely possible to use British Malaya as a production base to supply the French and Dutch forces with combat supplies.”

Alan Wilson opened his mouth unabashedly, “Sir, since the French are so desperate to revitalize the great nation, their investment in the war must be bloodless, British Malaya can be used as a base to support the Dutch and French, as long as the war lasts for more than two years, British Malaya can take off with the help of the war, not to mention that we have Japanese POWs to be free construction labor. And we don’t need to ask the French for anything, it’s all the French and Dutch who choose to do it.”

“For example, the French are spending money on military and repairs right?” Edward Bridges nailed Allen Wilson’s subtext; the French, back in the army with the embarrassment of having their throats slit by Germany in World War II, would surely not simply forget about it.

The massive investment was a predictable thing, and just a little of those costs flowing into British Malaya would be a huge boost.

Alan Wilson did not deny, embarrassed smile, “in the colonial issue, the big position Britain and France of course to maintain the same, but in some details, the French are willing to play a demonstration role, we can not stop.”

“The Prime Minister said that in September, in Brussels, with France, Belgium, Holland, and Portugal and Spain, to discuss together, on the corresponding position of the dependencies, and that for the moment the matter is still confidential, and that you should not divulge it.” Edward Bridges squared his shoulders, “I will give you transfer orders to Brussels at that time, so be ready.”

“Sir Edward, I simply cannot tell you how grateful I am in my heart.” Alan Wilson looked sincere, he really wasn’t pretending, where would he have thought that he would get the Cabinet Secretary’s regard.

“After all, the economic revitalization plan was proposed by you, we affairs officers are just doing things, all glory and fame goes to the politicians, you don’t need to thank me.” Edward Bridges said flatly, “It’s all the reward you deserve.”

Never mind how effective the plan to connect British India and German British Occupation later on to include a two-track system of prices would be, whether or not it would get Britain out of its decline right away, and on a larger level, whether or not the European colonial empires would be able to work hand in hand to get through the tough times. Allen Wilson, as the man who first came up with the idea, should be rewarded.

Within the terms of reference, Edward Bridges didn’t mind smoothing the young civil servant’s path. Not to mention the fact that Alan Wilson was very capable in his own right.

The formulation of the overall plan of course can not come out immediately, once the Potsdam conference is over, Edward Bridges returned to London, mobilized various departments to develop a detailed program, before the Brussels conference to take out enough to convince other countries, especially France.

As for how to persuade France, Edward Bridges already has a record, according to the agreement with the United States and the Soviet Union, the Japanese army in South Vietnam also similarly returned to the British surrendered, Britain can cede South Vietnam to France, at the same time in the Southeast Asian colonies to come up to form the British and French mutual support.

With Alan Wilson’s tip, Edward Bridges has noticed the Japanese army in the doomsday before the mines move, in the mines above the British Empire is a connoisseur, since we know the Japanese move, naturally there is a way to crack.

If the Japanese soldiers did not retrieve the weapons that had been intentionally spread to the local anti-colonial forces, their wish to return to Japan might not be realized so soon.

In the midst of their own thoughts, time passed day by day, and the Potsdam Conference came to an end.

All the issues had been discussed, and the result of the separation of Germany and Austria was finalized, dividing Germany and Austria into four zones to be occupied by Britain, the United States, the Soviet Union, and France.

Dissolution of the German Konzern Enterprise Union. It is provided that supreme authority in Germany shall be exercised by the Commanders-in-Chief of the occupying forces of the United States, Great Britain, the Soviet Union, and France in their respective zones of occupation in compliance with the orders of their respective governments.

Provides for a new frontier for Poland and that the Polish government-in-exile in London may return to Poland to participate in its post-war reconstruction.

All Germans outside Germany were deported back to Germany and temporarily resettled in the Soviet-occupied zone. The German commercial fleet was to be owned by the Soviet Union, while the German naval fleet was to be divided equally between Britain, the United States and France. Königsberg and neighboring areas were ceded to the Soviet Union!

The Black Sea Straits, as an international waterway, are not to be fortified by the Turkish government around the Straits.

Soviet and British troops in Iran will be withdrawn in stages before the end of the year, and Britain and the Soviet Union will guarantee Iran’s independent status.

In the proclamation to Japan, the sovereignty of Japan was limited to Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, Shikoku, and such other islands as the Allies might determine, and the Allied occupation of Japan was to be effected by the withdrawal of the Allied occupation forces as soon as a peaceful and responsible Japanese government had been attained and established.

On July 28, the Potsdam Conference officially came to an end. The General Secretary of the Soviet Union, Stalin, the President of the United States, Harry S. Truman, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Adlai, and the delegation of France and China signed the Potsdam Proclamation, which spread throughout the world.

In Tokyo, Japan, Prime Minister Kantaro Suzuki, who had been given the full text of the Potsdam Proclamation, presided over a cabinet meeting at the age of eighty, and after a heated discussion, a majority of the members expressed their rejection of surrender.

“The Imperial Southern Army in Southeast Asia has suffered losses, but the skeleton is still intact, and weapons have been distributed to the local armies to work together against the British and American colonizers.”

“After four rounds of expansion of the previous resolution to base the duel on the mainland, Honshu Island has a concentration of 3.7 million troops and sixty-seven divisions, so that once the American troops land, they will be left to die.”

“Although Hokkaido is in the middle of the battle, our local defenders have found that the Soviet Union has no backup, only the seventy thousand soldiers who landed on the island first, although the Soviet Union can have air support for the battle, the Hokkaido defenders can still utilize the terrain to hold off the other side.”

Various voices were against unconditional surrender, and eventually Kantaro Suzuki, who already had tinnitus and could barely hear anyone else, agreed with the majority of cabinet members, “Send the decisive call to combat down to the nation’s subjects, 100 million yukata, and fight to the end in blood.”

The news that the Japanese army refused to surrender unconditionally also quickly reached Berlin, so that the British, American and Soviet representatives who had not yet left were very dismayed, Allen Wilson licked his lips and muttered in a low voice, “the local decisive battle, one hundred million jade, easy to call for nuclear bombs ah.”